Kirk Sieglerhttp://wgcu.org
enWildfire Worries Rage In Typically 'Wet' Washington Statehttp://wgcu.org/post/wildfire-worries-rage-typically-wet-washington-state
The iconic forests of the Pacific Northwest — with their towering, moss-covered fir and pine trees — have never been this dry.Wed, 15 Jul 2015 21:01:00 +0000Kirk Siegler23658 at http://wgcu.orgWildfire Worries Rage In Typically 'Wet' Washington StateCalifornia's Driest Region Finds Short-Term Drought Aidhttp://wgcu.org/post/californias-driest-region-finds-short-term-drought-aid
Rural Tulare County, Calif., is now being called the epicenter of this drought.<p>That's because at least 1,300 residential wells have run dry, affecting at least 7,000 people. When your taps start spitting out air here, Paul Boyer and his team are who you call.<p>Under a punishing midafternoon sun, Boyer helps muscle down five of these hefty 400-pound water tanks from a semi-truck flatbed.Fri, 10 Jul 2015 22:51:00 +0000Kirk Siegler23499 at http://wgcu.orgCalifornia's Driest Region Finds Short-Term Drought AidEndangered Species Protections At Center Of Drought Debatehttp://wgcu.org/post/endangered-species-protections-center-drought-debate
Travel up and down California farm country, the Central Valley, and you hardly hear people lamenting the lack of rain or how dry this past winter was. What you hear, from the agriculture industry and many local and national politicians, are sentiments like those expressed by Rep.Mon, 15 Jun 2015 22:30:00 +0000Kirk Siegler22710 at http://wgcu.orgEndangered Species Protections At Center Of Drought DebateCalifornia's War Over Water Has Farmer Fighting Farmerhttp://wgcu.org/post/californias-war-over-water-has-farmer-fighting-farmer
Rudy Mussi is not the California farmer you've been hearing about.Thu, 04 Jun 2015 18:42:00 +0000Kirk Siegler22382 at http://wgcu.orgCalifornia's War Over Water Has Farmer Fighting FarmerIn Nepal, Efforts Underway To Salvage Ancient Sites Damaged By Quakehttp://wgcu.org/post/nepal-efforts-underway-salvage-ancient-sites-damaged-quake
Swayambhunath — also known as the Monkey Temple, for its holy, furry dwellers that swing from the rosewood trees — is one of the oldest and most sacred Buddhist sites in Nepal's Kathmandu Valley, an important pilgrimage destination for Hindus as well as Buddhists. It was also one of the worst damaged by last month's earthquake.<p>At the site, Nepali police soldiers shovel broken bricks and sand into garbage baskets.Sun, 03 May 2015 22:20:00 +0000Kirk Siegler21396 at http://wgcu.orgIn Nepal, Efforts Underway To Salvage Ancient Sites Damaged By QuakeShow Us The Aid: Anger In An Ancient Nepali Townhttp://wgcu.org/post/show-us-aid-anger-ancient-nepali-town
Where is the aid?<p>That's what the people of the ancient city of Bhaktapur want to know.<p>The historic gate to old Bhaktapur is about the only thing still standing after the earthquake. The ornate temples have crumbled. Brick homes were reduced to rubble. People have lost everything, including loved ones.<p>People are living under tarps or out in the open, without running water or toilets. Some 70 people are living in an improvised hut. Flies are everywhere.Fri, 01 May 2015 23:20:00 +0000Kirk Siegler21347 at http://wgcu.orgShow Us The Aid: Anger In An Ancient Nepali TownWounded Nepalis Stream Into Kathmandu, Overwhelming Hospitals http://wgcu.org/post/wounded-nepalis-stream-kathmandu-overwhelming-hospitals
At Model Hospital in Nepal's capital Kathmandu, two dozen patients are crowded into what would normally be the first floor reception area.<p>Nurses are racing about. Patients lying on worn, dirty mats on the floor are hooked up to IVs. One man, Loknatch Subedi, is sprawled out on a stretcher, his feet bandaged, one leg propped up on an old pillow.<p>"I'm getting better," he says.<p>On Saturday, he and his wife were riding on a scooter when the 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck. He was hit by a flying brick from a wall they were passing.Tue, 28 Apr 2015 20:27:00 +0000Kirk Siegler21229 at http://wgcu.orgWounded Nepalis Stream Into Kathmandu, Overwhelming Hospitals As Lake Mead Levels Drop, The West Braces For Bigger Drought Impacthttp://wgcu.org/post/lake-mead-levels-drop-west-braces-bigger-drought-impact
The historic four-year drought in California has been grabbing the headlines lately, but there's a much bigger problem facing the West: the now 14-year drought gripping the Colorado River basin.<p>One of the most stunning places to see its impact is at the nation's largest reservoir, Lake Mead, near Las Vegas. At about 40 percent of capacity, it's the lowest it's been since it was built in the 1930s.<p>"Just to see the rings around it, it's just ... kind of scary, you know," says Darlene Paige, a visitor from New York.Fri, 17 Apr 2015 20:29:00 +0000Kirk Siegler20879 at http://wgcu.orgAs Lake Mead Levels Drop, The West Braces For Bigger Drought ImpactYear After Denying Federal Control, Bundy Still Runs His Bit Of Nevadahttp://wgcu.org/post/year-after-denying-federal-control-bundy-still-runs-his-bit-nevada
It's been a year since Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy and his militia supporters stood down federal agents with the Bureau of Land Management outside Las Vegas.<p>Bundy owes more than $1 million in delinquent cattle grazing fees and penalties, but the BLM has stayed quiet in the year since the showdown, and <a href="http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/bundy-blm/one-year-later-authorities-mum-bundy-celebrates-0" target="_blank">Bundy's supporters marked the anniversary by throwing a party</a>.<p>For Robert Crooks, founder of <a href="http://www.mountainminutemen.com/" target="_blank">the Mountain MiTue, 14 Apr 2015 08:18:00 +0000Kirk Siegler20746 at http://wgcu.orgYear After Denying Federal Control, Bundy Still Runs His Bit Of NevadaCalifornia Farmers Gulp Most Of State's Water, But Say They've Cut Backhttp://wgcu.org/post/calif-farmers-gulp-most-states-water-say-theyve-cut-back
When Gov. Jerry Brown <a href="http://www.npr.org/2015/04/01/396871398/california-governor-announces-first-ever-mandatory-water-restrictions">announced the largest mandatory water restrictions in California history</a> April 1 while standing in a snowless field in the Sierra Nevada, he gave hardly a mention to farms.<p>When reporters asked about farmers later, Brown replied that they already are making sacrifices.Tue, 07 Apr 2015 21:42:00 +0000Kirk Siegler20556 at http://wgcu.orgCalifornia Farmers Gulp Most Of State's Water, But Say They've Cut BackCalif. Governor Can't Make It Rain, But Can Make Relief Money Pourhttp://wgcu.org/post/calif-governor-cant-make-it-rain-can-make-relief-money-pour
Can you spend your way out of an historic drought? Not really, but the consensus in Sacramento these days seems to be that money certainly helps.<p>Just days after it was introduced, California Gov.Fri, 27 Mar 2015 22:05:00 +0000Kirk Siegler20224 at http://wgcu.orgCalif. Governor Can't Make It Rain, But Can Make Relief Money PourSome Anxiety, But No Slowdown For North Dakota Oil Boom Town http://wgcu.org/post/some-anxiety-no-slowdown-north-dakota-oil-boom-town
Low oil prices are causing a drop in new drilling and exploration in North Dakota, but not as much as you might expect.<p>Take the boom town of Watford City, over in the northwestern corner of the state and in the heart of the Bakken oil patch. Its population has tripled since 2010, and today, continues to climb.<p>When I visited a year ago for our series on the Great Plains Oil Rush, the price of oil was above $100 a barrel. When I went back recently — with the headlines warning of a crash coming fresh in my mind — it was below $50; a 50 percent decrease in a year.Fri, 20 Mar 2015 17:42:00 +0000Kirk Siegler19994 at http://wgcu.orgSome Anxiety, But No Slowdown For North Dakota Oil Boom Town Low Oil Prices Could Stall Explosive Growth In Montana Boom Townhttp://wgcu.org/post/low-oil-prices-could-stall-explosive-growth-montana-boom-town
What happens when the price of oil tanks and suddenly you're faced with a whole lot less money to deal with your town's explosive growth?<p>If you're 52-year-old Rick Norby, you lose a lot of sleep.<p>"I haven't slept since I became mayor," he says. "I really ain't kidding you."<p>When Norby became mayor of Sidney, Mont., oil prices were about $100 a barrel. A year later, they've fallen to roughly half that. Yet oil production has continued to churn right along.<p>"All the action is still happening," says Norby, who has lived here all his life.Tue, 10 Mar 2015 08:16:00 +0000Kirk Siegler19645 at http://wgcu.orgLow Oil Prices Could Stall Explosive Growth In Montana Boom TownAgreement Reached In West Coast Ports Labor Disputehttp://wgcu.org/post/agreement-reached-ports-labor-dispute
<div class="fullattribution">Copyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.<img src="http://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Agreement+Reached+In+West+Coast+Ports+Labor+Dispute&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxMTMyMDY2MDEyNDUxNzAyNjlmODI5NQ004)"/></div><p>Sat, 21 Feb 2015 13:17:00 +0000Kirk Siegler19117 at http://wgcu.orgWest Coast Port Closures Are Hitting Several Industries Hardhttp://wgcu.org/post/west-coast-port-closures-are-hitting-several-industries-hard
No cargo will go in or out of 29 West Coast ports this weekend.<p>It's the third partial shutdown in operations at these ports in a week, the result of a bitter labor dispute between shipping lines and the union representing 20,000 dock workers.Sat, 14 Feb 2015 13:32:00 +0000Kirk Siegler18915 at http://wgcu.orgWest Coast Port Closures Are Hitting Several Industries HardLos Angeles Residents Divided Over Proposed $15 Minimum Wagehttp://wgcu.org/post/los-angeles-residents-divided-over-proposed-15-minimum-wage
Los Angeles is considering raising its minimum wage to $15 an hour, from $9 currently.Mon, 09 Feb 2015 22:16:00 +0000Kirk Siegler18730 at http://wgcu.orgLos Angeles Residents Divided Over Proposed $15 Minimum WageNebraska Says Colorado Pot Isn't Staying Across The Borderhttp://wgcu.org/post/nebraska-says-colorado-pot-isnt-staying-its-side-border
There's a PSA that greets you on the radio when you're driving the flat stretch of Colorado State Highway 113 near the Nebraska state line: "With marijuana legal under Colorado law, we've all got a few things to know. ... Once you get here, can't leave our state. Stick around, this place is pretty great."<p>B.J. Wilkinson, police chief of nearby Sidney, Neb., rolls his eyes whenever he hears that spot, made by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.Tue, 03 Feb 2015 21:37:00 +0000Kirk Siegler18527 at http://wgcu.orgNebraska Says Colorado Pot Isn't Staying Across The BorderDeal May Be In Sight For Pacific Coast Longshoremenhttp://wgcu.org/post/deal-may-be-sight-pacific-coast-longshoremen
<div class="fullattribution">Copyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.<img src="http://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Deal+May+Be+In+Sight+For+Pacific+Coast+Longshoremen&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAyMjQ1NTA4MDEyMjU5MTk3OTdlZmMzMQ004)"/></div><p>Transcript <p>MELISSA BLOCK, HOST: <p>A delay in products showing up on store shelves can be tracked back to a slowdown in shipping and a major labor dispute on the West Coast. Dock workers in shipping company have been at odds over a new contract for nearly eight months now.Wed, 28 Jan 2015 21:25:00 +0000Kirk Siegler18324 at http://wgcu.orgFalling Oil Prices Have North Dakota Migrants Rethinking The Boomhttp://wgcu.org/post/falling-oil-prices-have-north-dakota-migrants-rethinking-boom
A year ago, as part of our series on the Great Plains oil rush, we brought you the story of a 36-year-old father who had recently lost his job when one of the last major timber mills in the Northwest shut down. After several years struggling to find steady work and even after going back to school, Rory Richardson decided to commute 550 miles from his home in far western Montana, to a place where jobs are plentiful - the oil fields of North Dakota. But after a little more than a year, he and his family have decided the toll is just too great. <div class="fullattribution">Copyright 2015 NPR.Wed, 14 Jan 2015 21:59:00 +0000Kirk Siegler17881 at http://wgcu.orgRain Eases California Drought Anxiety, If Not The Actual Droughthttp://wgcu.org/post/rain-eases-california-drought-anxiety-if-not-actual-drought
The small city of Orange Cove, at the doorstep of the Sierra Nevada in central California, was suffering the brunt of the state's drought in April.<p>The rolling hills around the town are lined with citrus groves, and most people work on farms. As the irrigation canals dried up last summer, so did the economy.<p>"If there's no water, there's no work," Salvador Perez told NPR at the time.<p>Farm workers like Perez were being laid off as local farms ran out of water. Groves were pulled up as the citrus trees withered. Taps were running dry.Wed, 31 Dec 2014 21:36:00 +0000Kirk Siegler17407 at http://wgcu.orgRain Eases California Drought Anxiety, If Not The Actual DroughtRemembering Rodney King, Southern Calif. Watches Ferguson, NYhttp://wgcu.org/post/recalling-rodney-king-protests-la-neighborhood-uneasy
<div class="fullattribution">Copyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.<img src="http://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Remembering+Rodney+King%2C+Southern+Calif.+Watches+Ferguson%2C+NY&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDExNDE2ODUyMDEzNjkxNjcyNDgxNWNhMg004)"/></div><p>Transcript <p>SCOTT SIMON, HOST: <p>Nightly protests in New York City and Ferguson, Missouri and other cities across the country have generated a national conversation about race and community and police relations.Sat, 06 Dec 2014 12:48:00 +0000Kirk Siegler16655 at http://wgcu.orgColorado's Pot Industry Looks To Move Past Stereotypeshttp://wgcu.org/post/colorados-pot-industry-looks-move-past-stereotypes
It's been nearly a year since Colorado made recreational marijuana legal, and since then, pot has become a billion-dollar business in the state. And some growers have made it a mission to make it legitimate and mainstream.<p>"Change the face," says pot entrepreneur Brooke Gehring.Tue, 02 Dec 2014 08:52:00 +0000Kirk Siegler16500 at http://wgcu.orgColorado's Pot Industry Looks To Move Past StereotypesWith Drought The New Normal, Calif. Farmers Find They Have To Changehttp://wgcu.org/post/drought-new-normal-calif-farmers-find-they-have-change
Ask Northern California sheep rancher Dan Macon what this drought is doing to his pocketbook and he'll break it down for you real quick.<p>"It's like if you woke up one morning and lost 40 percent of the equity in your house," he says. "Our primary investment in our ranch is in these sheep and we just sold 40 percent of our stock."<p>Macon had to sell off almost half his herd at an auction for cheap. There wasn't enough feed to go around.Fri, 14 Nov 2014 15:01:00 +0000Kirk Siegler16019 at http://wgcu.orgWith Drought The New Normal, Calif. Farmers Find They Have To ChangeThe GOP Takes Heart From Colorado, But Still Faces 2016 Hurdleshttp://wgcu.org/post/gop-takes-heart-colorado-still-faces-2016-hurdles
Colorado is one of the battleground states where Republicans made big gains this week. Republicans in the state believe they now have momentum going into the 2016 presidential election.<p>But the GOP has suffered some punishing losses there lately, owing in part to the state's changing demographics. That trend may still be a big factor in 2016.<p>The last time Republicans won a U.S. Senate seat here was when Wayne Allard was re-elected in 2002.Sat, 08 Nov 2014 15:38:00 +0000Kirk Siegler15850 at http://wgcu.orgThe GOP Takes Heart From Colorado, But Still Faces 2016 HurdlesKeep On Drillin'? Santa Barbara Prepares To Vote On Oil Futurehttp://wgcu.org/post/keep-drillin-santa-barbara-prepares-vote-oil-future
Think of California's Santa Barbara County and you might picture the area's famous beaches or resorts and wineries. But in the northern reaches of the vast county, oil production has been a major contributor to the economy for almost a century.<p>So it's no surprise that the oil industry there is feverishly organizing to fight a local ballot initiative — Measure P — that would ban controversial drilling methods such as hydraulic fracturing.Thu, 30 Oct 2014 08:46:00 +0000Kirk Siegler15541 at http://wgcu.orgKeep On Drillin'? Santa Barbara Prepares To Vote On Oil Future